The White Kirin
by yuene
Summary: The birth of a kirin should be a joyous occasion. However, the birth of an unusual kirin brings a sense of foreboding. Especially when only other white kirin brought the world of the Twelve Kingdoms to the brink of destruction. Please R&R!
1. The Return

_This is my first attempt at writing a fanfic, and of course it has to be about Juuni Kokki, right? I love this series to death. I've been sitting on this one for a very long time, at least a year or so, but I never got down to writing it. It promises to be a long one, so do check back for updates—though I doubt they'll be regular, because I'm doing this while at work. At any rate, please read and review! Thanks!_

_A quick disclaimer: I don't own the 12 Kingdoms characters, all copyright belongs to _

_Fuyumi Ono and the producers of the show. I'm just borrowing them._

**The Return**

The evening sun shone through the glass panes, painting the Royal Kei's study a warm gold.

Sekishi sat at the table, perusing the latest proposal from the Chosai to send a unit as well as general aid to Kei's border towns. Three years had passed since the fall of the previous Kou-O and the country was bordering on chaos. Youma were attacking refugees as they fled in panic-stricken droves across to Kei. At times, the youma _did_ cross the border as well into the town buffer zone—a relatively new creation following an incognito visit to the town—though they never ventured beyond that. The refugees that made it over safely were usually short on food supplies and any form of shelter. The ever-increasing numbers was beginning to seriously strain the resources of not just the town, but the province. She picked up her seal tentatively. _Help us_, the voices cried.

She sighed deeply. Kei was only beginning to feel the effects of the reforms that she had put in place 35 years ago, and the economy had been performing well, at least in the past eight years. Theoretically speaking, she could spare some of Gyouten's resources. At the same time, she also knew that this was going to be a long-term commitment, since the new kirin of Kou was still in its infancy and it wouldn't be ready to choose its new ruler for the next seven years or so. _And_ that was if Kourin was mature enough by then. A more realistic timespan would be 12-20 years, during which period that level would have to be more or less sustained, or even increased. Also, it required an assumption that there would be no shokus occurring then. One of those could easily wipe out the nation's economic progress.

_Being a queen is tough work._ The thought ran through Youko's head for the hundredth time this year. _And it certainly doesn't get easier with 'experience'_. Despite 37 years of being on the throne, she still relied a lot on the wisdom of Enho, Rakushun and Kokan when it came to making major decisions. But Rakushun and Enho had gone to En and Ryuu on an official visit to discuss the possibilities of opening a new avenue for trade, while Kokan was the one making the request this time round.

_I'm not sure whether I should be thankful that Keiki isn't here or not_. Knowing her kirin, he would play the people's advocate in this situation. _Well, he IS the people's advocate everytime,_ she thought wryly. _It's just that I'm not sure if I should think of them in the short run, or in the long run._

Youko replaced the seal. Some decisions were best left unmade till better advice had been sought. Besides, Rakushun and Enho would be back in a week's time.

_Speaking of which…_

Keiki, too, was away; he'd returned to Mt. Hou to see the new Kourin and should be back sometime this week. He had mentioned something about this kirin, _what was it? That it was one of those highly unusual kirins, like Taiki_. She'd heard it whispered around the palace as well. Youko couldn't help but wonder what it was that made this one so rare. But she'd also noticed that when the gossipers mentioned it, the expression on their faces seemed clouded with worry. _As though its rarity was more a problem than something to celebrate._

A knock on her door roused Youko from her thoughts.

"Youko, Keiki has returned." The voice paused. "Shall I ask him to see you?"

Youko hesitated. He would surely ask about the Chosai's request. _Ah, what the heck,_ she thought. "Yes. Send him in right away." She paused momentarily. "On second thoughts, tell him to meet me at the pavilion after dinner."

"Very well." Shoukei's footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Rising, she stretched and then moved towards the study door, knocking over a few of the scrolls piled on her table. Those could wait.

The air was crisp above the Sea of Clouds, and the stars sparkling like diamonds in the night sky as Keiki approached his sovereign, who was seated. He stopped a couple of feet behind her.

"Your highness, I have returned safely."

"That's good. Why don't you take a seat?" She gestured to an ornately carved rosewood stool next to her. Keiki took the seat, and for a while they sat in companionable silence, staring into space. The absurd thought suddenly came to Youko. If an immortal went high up enough into the atmosphere, would he or she die from the extreme conditions up there? She involuntarily let out a giggle.

"Your highness...?" Keiki looked at her, a question forming in his purple eyes.

"It's nothing. Just a silly thought. Something to do with the other world." She smiled wryly. "So, how was your trip to Mt. Hou?"

"It was good."

_Typical Keiki_. "The nyosen must have been pleased to see you again."

He nodded. They fell into silence again. However, it felt a little more tense than before, which made Youko uncomfortable. She knew that the next question was the reason for the tension. Yet, she felt the uncontrollable urge to ask it.

"And Kourin...?" She turned to face her kirin.

He did not seem to have heard her, or if he did, he was ignoring the question. His face betrayed no emotion.

Youko couldn't help but notice how beautiful her kirin was, especially with his alabaster complexion and noble expression. At the same time, it was these features that made him feel distant. While he had opened up considerably during the years, he still retained some of his aloofness with her. She sighed inwardly, and looked away.

"She…" His voice startled Youko, and she turned to face Keiki. His brows were slightly furrowed.

"…is a white kirin."


	2. What Suiguutou revealed

_Author's note: Thank you to the people who reviewed the first chapter of The White Kirin! Glad to see that you liked it thus far (even though it's only been one chapter…). The next chapter is up, again, please read and review, do tell me if you find that it's moving a little slowly. I'm also going to need some help! I can't read kanji, so it's going to be hard for me to give names. If anyone knows how to do so, your help is greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!_

_**Suiguu-tou**_

Youko sat up, tossing off the covers with a vehemence she could not explain. _I can't get to sleep_, she thought, swinging her legs off the side of the divan. The light veil lining the side of her bed swirled around as she stepped away to the windows. The moonlight bleached everything in its path of their colour, making everything in the room cold and marble-like.

Youko looked out of her window towards the pavilion. Her interview with Keiki did not yield much information. He refused to talk further about the kirin of Kou, and excused himself after a while, pleading fatigue.

"A white kirin…" her eyes looked towards the distance, as though trying to see it on Mt. Hou. Abruptly she turned on her heel and back to her bed, where _Suiguu-tou_ lay. She unsheathed it and lay the blade on her lap. Focusing all her concentration on the new Kourin, she breathed the words.

"Show me the white kirin. I want to see her." _I want to know why she is so feared._

The blade shimmered, casting its familiar blue glow on her face as she heard the sound of a single drop fall. The ripples in the water cleared to reveal a young kirin, still in beast form, taking her first unsteady steps with her nyokai standing watch protectively. Shakily, it raised itself up on its four legs, and took a tentative step. The nyokai gave a shout of delight and called out her name. Encouraged, Kourin took another step and then three more, turning to look at the white figure for more approval. However, its legs were not so used to walking, and they buckled, sending the little beast sprawling onto the floor. Her nyokai immediately ran over, scooping her charge up in her paws and showering it with kisses. Kourin nuzzled her, her platinum white hair falling over her warm brown eyes. Youko couldn't help but smile at the tender scene.

Then the sound of another water droplet, and the scene changed, revealing Kourin sitting behind a bamboo screen, her nyokai and a few nyosen standing beside her. She looked not more than 15 years old. One of the nyosen bent towards Kourin, and seemed to be asking a question. Kourin shook her head vehemently, looking very tired.

Suddenly, the scene shifted again, revealing a dark bedroom, a divan bed at the side. A small lamp sat on the rosewood table, its flame flickering gently, casting its light on a figure, head in his hands. The veil of the bed lay in tatters on the tiles, while the bedclothes were in disarray, as though the person who slept on it had been writhing in agony. Suddenly, a voice spoke. It sounded strangely hollow.

"Where is he?"

As her eyes adjusted to the lighting in the room, Youko could see that huddled in the shadows on the divan was another figure in a black robe, its white hair falling past its waist. _Kourin_. The unmistakable patches of _shitsudou_ marred the porcelain skin of the kirin.

The person at the table did not stir, but a ragged sob tore through the silence. "What have I done wrong? I've been merciful, made the people happy, I've brought peace and prosperity to this country. I have fulfilled Heaven's mission. Why? Why do you still have _shitsudou_?" The king's despairing eyes fell on the figure of his kirin.

A long pause ensued. Then the kirin shifted towards the edge of the bed, still curled up in a ball.

"Tell me what to do, and I will do it, as long as it makes you well again." His voice trailed off, his sobs filling the room. The female figure looked up, and Youko recoiled in shock. It wasn't Kourin. _There was another white kirin_.

Again, the scene in the sword changed, and Youko's eyes widened in horror. Open war raged and the dead and maimed fell in the hundreds, their screams of pain mixing with the roar of battle. Banners fluttered around a castle. _There were more than two countries involved in this war. _Youko's thoughts raced.

Inside a different room was the white kirin, her nyokai protectively wrapping her arms around her. Her white hair had been cut, obviously in a hurry. The sounds of fighting came closer, and the kirin buried her face in her hands. Suddenly, her face shot up. She looked as though she'd been dealt a mortal blow, and her golden eyes widened.

The scene faded and _Suiguu-tou _returned to its normal state.

Youko's hands were trembling as she sheathed her sword. She was wide awake now, her mind reeling from what she'd seen. Why were so many countries fighting in a war? What was the kirin's role in it? And who was 'he'?

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Enho and Rakushun returned, bearing news of the success of their mission. Youko tried to concentrate on the terms of the trade agreements and the concerns of her officials about their fairness, but she could only think of how to get Enho aside to ask about what she saw two nights before.

Koukan was speaking now; it was about one of the trade terms being skewed towards En, and Youko couldn't help but wonder (a little irritably) whether 300 more gold coins a year would honestly make that much difference to Kei's finances. _Especially when we need far more than just 300 gold coins in a month, let alone a year,_ she thought. She was convinced that Koukan was quibbling over trifles.

Finally, the affairs of the day were concluded and the _Rikkan_ was to be reconvened for the ambassadors of En and Ryuu to consider the amended terms. As the ministers filed out, Youko saw her chance and descended towards Enho, who had been discussing something with the ambassador of Ryuu and was turning to leave.

"Enho," she began. "Thank you for undertaking this mission on my behalf."

"It is my pleasure, Youko." Enho smiled. "But if you don't mind my mentioning this, you looked rather distracted during the round of discussions." He gestured towards the pavilion where she had spoken to Keiki that night. "Shall we take a stroll? It will help you to relax somewhat."

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"Keiki went back to Mt. Hou while you were away."

"To see Kourin. I know. And a very fine kirin she is, too, I've heard. A white one, which is very rare."

"That's what troubles me," Youko continued uncertainly. "Everyone said that Taiki was rare and everyone was happy about it. He's brought peace and prosperity to Tai. But when people talk about Kourin, there is an unseen dread that hangs over them. And…" Her face reddened, as though she'd done a shameful thing. "I saw that there was _another_ white kirin, and many of the 12 Kingdoms were at war. I mean, war between countries and invading another country isn't allowed, right? So why did I see them fighting each other? And the kirin seemed to have a role in it. Aren't kirins supposed to be merciful, and hate bloodshed?"

"You consulted _Suiguu-tou_." It was stated as more of a fact than as a question. Youko nodded.

They passed the lake in the outer palace, and Enho stopped to admire the water lilies. Youko stood on his right, feeling mildly uncomfortable at the silence.

"The kirin you saw was the second kirin of Shun, Shunrin." Enho paused before remarking. "Maybe you should sit down. This will be a long story."


	3. The Birth of a Kirin

_Author's note: I finally got around to writing the third chapter of the story. For those of you who are wondering where Lady Gyokuyou is in Mt. Hou, I'm basing this on a sentence mentioned during the anime that there was a virtuous lady who later became a goddess on Mt. Hou. This is set before she came into the picture._

_Also, for those who are wondering, Chuuyou is an official in Shun, and he is not the Minister of Spring, he's just a high-ranking official in that ministry._

**Chapter 3: The Birth of a Kirin**

_It was Tentei's will that Shun-Ou fell_, they said, though Chuuyou wondered why the people never asked why Tentei allowed Shun-Ou to go wrong in the first place. He privately thought that Tentei was either a highly sick individual for letting a whole bunch of people suffer for the sins of one, or that he was very naïve to think that there were humans who would do things for the sake of others. Chuuyou never gave voice to those thoughts, though—the people were highly superstitious; fearful, even, of that mysterious figure who'd destroyed the world just over 250 years ago, and if anyone breathed anything that could be construed as remotely blasphemous, there would be censure. Especially for someone who worked in the Ministry of Spring. So he kept his peace.

Chuuyou didn't enjoy being a skeptic. He did want to have some faith, but at times like these, when the people were suffering so immensely, he just couldn't understand why things had to be this way. He passed by the throne room, and paused at the sight of the recently-vacated throne. Whether by instinct or intent he never knew, but he paused and bowed his head.

_Please grant us our kirin soon. And please, give me faith to believe again._

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Far away from where Chuuyou waited for his miracle, another figure sat patiently under the Sashinbouku waiting for hers. The nyokai had not moved from that spot since the fruit bearing Shun's kirin first formed on the Sashinbouku, but recently her hand rested on a rock nearby, readying herself for the moment when the golden fruit would fall.

The sound of footsteps roused her out of her reverie. A group of nyosen was approaching the tree, tittering excitedly as they caught sight of the large glowing sphere.

"It's almost time now, isn't it, Seihii?" commented one of the nyosen.

Seihii nodded and smiled. The nyosen sat down and arranged themselves around the nyokai, taking care to avoid her long tail. Seihii noted that she hadn't seen one of the nyosen before.

"Are you new here? What's your name?"

The auburn-haired girl blushed. "My name is Tei-ei, and I'm still new to Mt. Hou. I've been assigned to serve the new kirin of Shun after its birth." Tei-ei smiled brightly.

"You are _so_ lucky," sighed one of the other nyosen. "_I_ had to wait for 12 years before I got to serve Houki, whereas you've only been here for six weeks and you're already assigned to take care of Shun's kirin." The nyosen made a face of fake annoyance and Tei-ei blushed even harder. "I'm sorry Jyuusaku…"

Jyuusaku laughed merrily. "There's no need to be sorry, you goose. It's not as if you designed it in that way. It just so happened that when I came to Mt. Hou, the 12 kingdoms were still stable, so there weren't any kirin." She paused. "To be truthful, I'd rather be out of a job than to always have to take care of kirins. It only means that the people down there are suffering tremendously and that's never a good thing. What's more, they suffer for years on end while we have a comparatively easier time raising the kirin." She sighed heavily. "I wonder how Shun is doing now." The party fell silent, as the sobering truth sank in.

Tei-ei cleared her throat quietly. "But I guess it isn't all that bad, because at least we have a hope for something better." She looked at the fruit and frowned. "Is…it… supposed to do…that?"

Everyone looked up and a gasp escaped from Seihii's lips as she leapt to her feet. The fruit was swaying hard on the branch, as though the infant kirin was trying to get out by kicking the fruit's walls. In fact, it _was_ kicking the walls of the fruit, so violently that as the fruit swung from side to side, the stem began to tear. At any moment now, the fruit would fall. Seihii instinctively stretched out her arms.

With a loud rip, the fibres of the stem tore and the fruit landed into the waiting arms of the nyokai. One of the nyosen ran to the palace to announce the arrival of Shun's kirin, while the rest watched as Seihii gently laid the fruit on the ground and used the rock she'd been holding to tap on the surface, creating a small crack in the fruit.

The infant kirin sensed the breach, and kicked hard, creating a larger gash. Then, with one mighty kick, the fruit burst open and the little kirin lay before the wondering eyes of the nyosen. Tei-ei looked at Jyuusaku, but was that confusion that she detected in the eyes of the senior nyosen?

"Jyuusaku…?"

"This is the first time I've seen it. A non-golden maned kirin."

"Huh?" Tei-ei looked puzzled now.

"All the kirins born on Mt. Hou thus far have had golden manes. Even if the colour was closer to white, you could see a tinge of yellow in it." They looked at the little one lying on the rocks, shivering from the cold air of the morning. "But this one…it's completely white."

Tei-ei gazed hard at the gleaming white mane, with a tone so pure that one could almost detect a tinge of blue in it. "So…is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Jyuusaku shrugged. "Well, at least Shun has a kirin now. That should be a good thing. At the very least, she promises to be different."

Seihii gathered the little unicorn into her arms and stood up. The nyosen immediately parted for the nyokai. Already, the nyosen who'd gone had returned with a large group, who whispered and pointed as they caught sight of the white mane of the foal. Seihii ignored them, but instead leant protectively over her charge and kissed its cheek, and as she made her way to the rooms prepared for the two of them, she whispered into its ear.

"You are going to be special. I can feel it."


	4. Shunrin

_Author's note: It's a short chapter, I know, but then again, it's largely descriptive of Shunrin, and just a little hint as to what is to come. There would have been a little more but I stupidly deleted a whole section describing Shunrin's attire and then **SAVED** facepalm. I watched the Taiki arc again to try and get a bit more info about the place and how it works, as well as the life of a kirin. Unfortunately, I also realized that in the show, Lady Gyokuyou is implied to have been on Mt. Hou before Tei-ei did! Which of course contradicts my earlier statement. So, please follow the anime's version of the events, and don't worry, it doesn't screw up the story at all, since Hekikagenkun doesn't play a role here anyway. As always, please R&R!_

**Shunrin**

Shunrin (for the kirin turned out to be female) grew quickly due to her healthy appetite for the fruits of Mt. Hou. This pleased the nyosen, and they were even more delighted when she began walking, because she started far quicker than any kirin before her had done, and by the time she was 2 months old, she was prancing down steep cliffs as though they were plains. Her caretakers considered this a good omen and thank Tentei for the birth of this talented kirin.

It probably was the effect of the fruits that Shunrin ate that gave her a glossy coat, which gleamed beautifully in the sunlight. Her mane and eyes, however, were the most enchanting of the young kirin's features; her mane was long and silky, reaching more than halfway down her legs, while her eyes were a striking gold. Some of the more romantic nyosen described it as molten pure gold poured into the mould of orbs and laid into a statue of ivory.

Perhaps they were not wrong about Shunrin being a statue of ivory, for unlike the other kirin that had been born on Mt. Hou, Shunrin was a rather silent creature, hardly speaking to anyone other than Seihii. This became more apparent as she grew older and transformed into her human form. She hardly lifted her eyes, keeping those golden orbs veiled behind their delicate lids, even when spoken to. Any attempt to coax her into saying something often resulted in the person spending his or her time futilely, and after a while, most people stopped trying. The more narrow-minded people whispered behind her back as she passed by, gossiping about her lack of loquacity and its possible causes. Shunrin largely ignored them.

Seihii adored her young charge and followed her closely at all times. The kirin's reserved nature only served to reinforce in the nyokai's mind that this was a special beast and therefore needed close attention at all times. Also, as Shunrin would only talk to her mostly, she had to be at hand to listen to her and to relay her needs and wants to the nyosen.

The only other person that the white kirin would talk to was Tei-ei. Perhaps it was because she found in the shy girl a kindred spirit, thus her willingness to open up to someone who she felt could understand her. Tei-ei was rather surprised, but at the same time secretly pleased that the reticent kirin had chosen her to be her human confidante. Strangely enough, she would only speak to Tei-ei when she was in human form. However, this did not overly concern the nyosen.

Shunrin often spent hours away from Hourou Palace, choosing instead to explore the maze of rocks and roam the fields on Mt. Hou. It was something that she clearly enjoyed and if one was trying to looking for her, one would fare better to search those places for her, as she would often stay there until the sun had set and the stars were twinkling brightly. It was only with great reluctance that she would return to her rooms to sleep and early the next morning she would be back in the fields again.

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Only once did she enter Chizu Palace, where the map of the twelve kingdoms was kept. Tei-ei went in with her.

"See, Shunrin? That's Shun." Tei-ei pointed to the island on the bottom right of the map. A shadow had fallen over it. "That's where you will live after you choose the king." Tei-ei looked wistfully at the darkened map of her own country.

Shunrin was silent. Then she suddenly spun on her heel and ran out of the chamber.

After that incident, Shunrin refused to step anywhere near Chizu Palace.

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As she grew older she was allowed to go into the Kokai and capture shirei, and by the time she had reached her 15th birthday, she had at least nine. However, she never seemed to develop an interest in them. However, something happened during one of her rare excursions to the desert that would change her life.


	5. A Chance Encounter

_Author's note: My apologies for having neglected this for so long! The marking has been terrible and I've been generally busy with life and work. But! I'm ending work soon, so that means (hopefully) that I'll be able to update a bit more often. _

_A lot of my info comes from juunikirin and Cassie's site, especially place names and youma names, so many thanks to them for that! I've also been filling myself in with some info about the world, and it seems that Mt. Hou used to be called Mt. Tai! By right, in this tale it should be called Mt. Tai by everyone, except in the first couple of chapters. However, for clarity's sake, I'll just continue with Mt. Hou. Anyway, enjoy!_

**Chapter 5: A Chance Encounter**

Haimon, the gate that separates Mt. Hou from the Koukai. Tei-ei never ceased to be amazed at the difference between the beautiful, orderly world of Mt. Hou and the sparse, dry conditions of the desert that made it so forbidding. Youma freely roamed the area, which did not set Tei-ei's heart at ease, despite her being a nyosen. As such, she sat with her back against a large rock.

In contrast, Shunrin seemed to be more in her element, running freely and exploring the various cracks in the rocks and climbing, something that bugged the nyosen more than a little. Perhaps it was _precisely_ because Shunrin seemed so carefree that Tei-ei felt the need to remain on her guard and look out for her. Speaking of which… Where was she?

Tei-ei looked around, with a mild sense of growing panic. Shunrin was nowhere in sight. Gathering up her skirt, the nyosen started in one direction and then changed her mind, heading off in the opposite direction, calling out the kirin's name as she went.

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Shunrin, in the meantime, watched the nyosen some distance away from a comfortable height, hidden by a rocky outcrop. Seihii, also hidden, looked at the kirin with more than a little curiosity. "Tei-ei seems rather worried. Shouldn't we go back and reassure her that you're fine?" Her tail flicked gently over her scaly body and she craned her neck to see where Tei-ei had gone to.

A rare mischievous grin flickered across the kirin's face. "In a while." She emerged from behind the outcrop and started making her way to the top of the cliff.

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Shunrin pulled herself over and onto the plateau, panting slightly as she did so. She disliked climbing while in human form, but disliked having to pick up her robes after transforming even more. She peered over the edge at Seihii, who was 15 feet below, having stopped to remove a stone that had lodged itself stubbornly in her claw. "Seihii! Hurry up!" She called out cheerfully.

"Well, you gave me quite a turn." At the foreign voice, Shunrin started and turned. In front of her was a man of about 25 years of age and on his face was a wry smile. His green eyes twinkled merrily as he walked over. His light brown short sleeved tunic that reached to mid-thigh covered the puce shirt that he wore underneath. A pair of loose-fitting sand-coloured pants protected his legs from the fierce sun. The whole ensemble was held together by a thin leather belt fastened by something that was hidden from view. Despite the clothing, it was rather obvious that the man had a toned body, though it was not rippling with muscles.

Shunrin looked embarrassed and then smiled. "I didn't think that anyone would be up here." She turned to see Seihii leaping upwards. The young man stood by the edge, about an arm's length away. "Your friend is a rather strange youma. I've never seen one that looks like that." He took a step backward as Seihii leapt onto the flat rock and placed herself between Shunrin and the man. Her face registered distrust and her fingers were curled into a claw, ready to strike. "Hey, take it easy. I don't mean any harm." He held up his hands in a placating manner. "I'm just here to hunt for youma."

Shunrin laid her hand on the nyokai's shoulder. To her surprise, she could feel low vibrations—Seihii was growling, albeit quietly. Her hand slid down Seihii's arm, who, on feeling the light pressure on her wrist, relaxed her stance a little. However, her face clearly showed that she was not convinced of the young man's explanation.

"You haven't told us your name yet." Shunrin spoke simply as she sat on the nearest rock.

"Fuushun is my _azana_. And yours…?"

"Shun-sei." Before Seihii could speak, the name had spilled from Shunrin's lips.

"Shun-sei. _Sei_ for 'star'?" She nodded, again before Seihii could react. "Permit me to ask a question. What are you two doing out here in the Koukai? It's not the world's safest place to be." Taking her cue, he sat down, a small distance away to put the nyokai at ease.

"I'm a nyosen. And you?"

"I hunt youma for a living, but not for meat or fur. I'm actually a kijyuu trainer. To be even more specific, I hunt for suguu and I tame them so that they are safe for people to ride and then I sell them to people. The Koukai is one of the few places where one can find suguu." A boyish smile flashed across his face as he looked from wary nyokai to kirin. "So don't worry about it. I'm not interested in capturing either one of you."

"How do you catch them?" The kirin's interest was piqued. This was the first time she had spoken to someone from the outside world and she wanted to know about people's lives as much as possible.

"I set traps for them, using ropes and the natural geographical advantage of the rocks. Of course, you have to bait the traps, so I also use a piece of meat. That's how I captured Shoushuu." Shunrin looked at him quizzically, until he gave a piercing whistle. An orange tiger padded out from behind a rock and immediately Seihii took a step forward.

"You needn't worry, Seihii." Fuushun laughed. "Shoushuu is completely tame, I can assure you. I've had her for over 6 years and she is very gentle. She'll even let children ride her." He stroked the head of the kijyuu, who had settled by his feet. Its purring was loud and clear. "I'll have to admit that she's rare among suguu, though. Most aren't this friendly, if you can call them friendly in the first place. I sometimes wonder if she'd been raised by humans previously." Shoushuu's golden eyes met Shunrin's, and Shunrin couldn't help but like the creature at once.

"Do you come here often?" She asked.

Fuushun shook his head. "Only two or three times a year, along with my band of hunters. We stay rather long, around 3 weeks or so. They sent me as an advance party first, so I'll be alone here for a while yet." He looked at the sky, which had slowly become tinged with gold and pink. "It's getting late. Perhaps the two of you should be making your way back."

Shunrin's eyes widened in horror. "Oh no. Tei-ei!" She got up quickly.

"Do you need help in searching for her?" Fuushun asked, concern written all over his face. Shunrin shook her head as she climbed onto Seihii's back, and they sped down the cliff face.

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Tei-ei had been so intent with her search for her lost kirin that she hadn't seen the suguu creeping up behind her until it was almost too late. With a scream, she leapt aside and scrambled onto the rock just as the suguu lunged at where she had been just seconds before. It slipped on the sand and fell, but quickly recovered and clambered up the rock towards the frightened nyosen. Tei-ei spied a crack 6 feet above her. Grabbing a loose stone, she flung it with all her might at the snarling creature, hitting it square between its eyes, causing it to flinch momentarily. Enraged, it leapt upwards, swiping Tei-ei and tearing her robes as she pulled her leg up. She gasped as she felt the blood trickling down her left calf but kicked down hard, making contact with the suguu's sensitive nose, causing it to slip down the face of the rock. She desperately scrambled upwards. _Just a bit more and…_

The suguu's roar was deafening as it lunged towards her at a blinding speed and Tei-ei's eyes widened as she gritted her teeth, praying that her death would be quick.

The fatal bite never came, as another roar mixed with that of the animal's. Throwing her full weight against the suguu, Seihii knocked the creature off the rock and sent it sprawling below, buying Tei-ei enough time to recover her senses and squeeze herself into the crack. Emerald and sapphire scales gleamed as she bound downwards, for the suguu had spotted Shunrin and decided to attack her instead. With a mighty leap, the nyokai landed on the youma's back and dragged it to the ground with her dragon claws, kicking up a large cloud of dust as they skidded and struggled across the desert floor. The suguu flipped over on its back and lashed out at Seihii, who dodged with incredible speed, springing to one side and crouching in readiness for the next assault. Her beautiful face was contorted into a snarl, her fangs bared.

The suguu paced sideways, its growl audible even from Tei-ei's hiding place. Suddenly with two bounds the youma had reached Seihii, who tried to evade. However, this time she wasn't as quick, and the suguu's fangs ripped through scale and hide to tear a deep gash into her dragon's body. Seihii cried out in pain and writhed, digging her sharp claws into the suguu, drawing blood in return. Blood, scale and fur were mixed in the sand as the two powerful creatures thrashed in the sand, but it was clear that the nyokai was weakening from a loss of blood. From the corner of her eye, Tei-ei saw Shunrin running towards the scene, and then suddenly reeling as though hit by a mace. She collapsed onto the ground, weakly calling out the name of one of her _shirei_. A whirlpool formed in the air, and a large blue wolf raced out towards the still-struggling pair.

A second, then a third suguu appeared, one immediately engaging the_ isoku_, the other stalking towards the weakened kirin, who was still sprawled on the ground, barely moving. Tei-ei's hands flew towards her mouth in a silent scream as the suguu pounced.

Two arrows buried themselves deep in the side of the creature and it twisted its body in mid-air before landing heavily on the ground, not far from the kirin. Another arrow and yet another found its mark and the suguu roared. One final arrow pierced through its mouth, killing the animal instantly. A young man in brown raced out towards the seemingly unconscious Shunrin, scooping her up and carrying her away from the skirmish towards higher ground. Tei-ei could see a suguu kijyuu. The man deposited the kirin by the kijyuu's side, pausing to say something to the animal before leaping back into the fray. The tame animal curled around Shunrin's inert form protectively.

It was all over in a matter of seconds. The _isoku_ had dispatched the second youma while a couple of arrows and Seihii's claws made quick work of the first. Tei-ei crept slowly out of the rock, limping as she did so. The young man was tending to Seihii, who lay moaning on the sand. He looked up at Tei-ei.

"You must be Tei-ei." The weary nyosen nodded, unable to say anything.

Fuushun nodded grimly in the direction of Shunrin. "Let's get everyone back home."


End file.
